Sunday, July 31, 2011

July was dominated by the death of my friend and colleague David McCaffrey (pictured at right inFebruary 2011). David, co-founder of the organization I work for, theCatholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities (CPCSM), passed away July 9 after a very short illness. His funeral Mass was held July 15 at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in St. Paul.

Above:Standing across from the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis – Friday, July 8, 2011.

David died late Saturday night, July 9. Up until that morning he was all set to join members of Catholics for Marriage Equality MN for the second night of distributing "I Support Marriage Equality" stickers to attendees of the Basilica Block Party. When I called him at around 11:00 a.m. to make plans to travel together to the Basilica later that day, I was shocked to hear him say that he was in the Emergency Room. He was clearly in a lot of pain. I told him he was in my thoughts and prayers, and told myself that since he was at the hospital he would be okay. I wasn't to know it, but that conversation over the phone was to be the last time I would talk to him. In the early hours of Sunday, July 10, I was awakened by a phone call from David's partner of 14 years, Michael. He was understandable distraught as he shared with me the news that David had passed away and asked if I would come and be with him at the hospital.

Looking back, I am so grateful that David and I spoke the night before he died. The Basilica Block Party is a two-day event and Catholics for Marriage Equality MN had been distributing stickers to attendees on Friday evening. Late that night, David phoned to tell me that he had seen Fox News' coverage of our presence at the Basilica, and to congratulate me on the "great job" I did when interviewed by the Fox News reporter. I'll always remember and treasure that affirmation, and I'm so grateful that David got to see such apositive and well-received Catholic action in support of marriage equality at the Basilica.

Above:David's funeral Mass on Friday, July 15 exemplified the very best of our Catholic tradition. The totality of David's life was acknowledged and honored; his husband Michael delivered a beautiful eulogy; and the parish community welcomed all.

For more images and commentary on this beautiful and inspiring event, clickhere.

I can't say how much I appreciated the company and support of friends this month – including my good friends Brian, Rick, Bob & John, Liana & Curtis, John, and Greg (pictured at right) . . .

. . . and my dear friend Kathleen (left), who joined me and other friends on the evening of Tuesday, July 26, for a "poetry party." Much beauty and wisdom was shared that night!

. . . What was shared at this [Catholic same-sex] wedding transcended sexual orientation and truly elevated our common humanity. This historic and deeply personal event fostered genuine community by allowing us to find happiness in someone else's joy and to be present to one another through ritual and celebration.

For me, one of the ironies of the Catholic opposition to same-sex relationships is the appeal to natural law, specifically the notion that same-sex relationships violate nature because they are not capable of procreation.

Interpreting natural law in this way reduces human beings to their biological functions. It fails to appreciate human beings in their totality as emotional, spiritual and physical beings that God created us to be.

Seeing these two women still so completely in love after two decades together, one cannot deny how naturally they complement one another on every level. The only unnatural possibility would have been for them to not be together.

Though they are unable to procreate, one could hardly deny the fruitfulness of their relationship and personal and spiritual fulfillment they brought one another.

Their dedication to the church has brought a remarkable spectrum of gifts to the members of their faith community with whom they have worshiped for 20 years. The strength of their commitment to one another and to their faith are a lifeline for new generations of young Catholics who see this couple as an embodiment of the truth that one can be both in a same-sex relationship and a faithful Catholic.

It may take centuries before the Roman Catholic hierarchy recognizes that this marriage, and countless ones like it, is a holy union because of the love, faithfulness and mutual respect they shared. Lucky for those of us gathered in the park on that balmy, blessed, late afternoon, the presence of God is not subject to the limited, fallible men who make church law.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Thursday, July 28, 2011

. . . Yet amongst all [the] horror [ofAnders Breivik's murderous rampage], the Norwegian response was truly a thing of wonder. Hundreds of thousands came to Oslo in the days following the attacks in a national showing of solidarity and love. Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg took to national airwaves, declared that “we will take care of each other . . . we will mourn our dead. Tomorrow we shall prove that the Norwegian democracy will be even stronger” and boldly vowed that “no one shall bomb us to silence, no one shall shoot us to silence, no one shall scare us out of being Norway.”

. . . In the end, Breivik’s ultimate legacy will not be that of his twisted goals, but that of a nation that refuted his violence and hatred in a way that will set an example for the rest of the world to follow.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Here are 8 images from a collection of pictures that together have been called "the most hilariously effective signs supporting gay marriage." I'll let you be the judge of the accuracy of that claim!

Okay, my favorite is Number 3 – in large part because the guy in it is just so darn cute!

Speaking of marriage equality, did you know that the authors of a recently releasedpolling memo see a "dramatic" shift toward same-sex marriage? Here's what Ben Smith of Politico.com says about this news.

The new memo, based on public polling, makes the case that support for same-sex marriage has "accelerated dramatically in the last two years" and that the future almost surely belongs to supporters of same-sex marriage.

The pollsters conclude that the issue is changing fast: "It is clear that the public is in the process of rethinking its position on the issue, with all political groups — Democrats, Independents as well as Republicans — and all age groups more likely to support marriage for same-sex couples," they write.

They also note a factor that has been increasingly clear to observers of state legislative fights on the subject: Momentum and public interest appear to be shifting in the direction of supporters of same-sex marriage.

"The intensity of opinion is changing at a rapid pace. As of today, supporters of marriage for gay couples feel as strongly about the issue as opponents do, something that was not the case in the recent past," they write.

And they make the case for a kind of demographic inevitability that's at the core of the argument gay rights activists have been making with increasing conviction to political leaders.

"Support strongly correlates with age" [note the memo's authors Republican Jan van Lohuizen and Democrat Joel Benenson]. "As Americans currently under the age of 40 make up a greater percentage of the electorate, their views will come to dominate."

You can have as many debates about gay marriage as you want, and over the last 22 years of campaigning for it, I’ve had my share. You can debate theology, and the divide between church and state, the issue of procreation, the red herring of polygamy, and on and on. But what it all really comes down to is the primary institution of love. The small percentage of people who are gay or lesbian were born, as all humans are, with the capacity to love and the need to be loved. These things, above everything, are what make life worth living.

And unlike every other minority, almost all of us grew up among and part of the majority, in families where the highest form of that love was between our parents in marriage. To feel you will never know that, never feel that, is to experience a deep psychic wound that takes years to recover from. It is to become psychologically homeless.

Which is why, I think, the concept of “coming out” is not quite right. It should really be called “coming home.”

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

.One aid official iscallingit "the world's worst humanitarian crisis": More than 12 million people are at risk of starvation in drought-stricken Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. The situation is aggravated by military conflicts, climate change and other factors.

The current food crisis in the Horn of Africa is a humanitarian emergency, but it has a distinctly geopolitical dimension, say experts who follow the region.

Although the immediate problem facing the 11 million people, aid agencies say, is a shortage of food, the causes of the crisis take in a broader spectrum of problems affecting the region, including climate change, agricultural policy, military conflicts and the effects of global markets on local economies.

Much has been made of the fact that parts of the region have experienced the driest year in decades because of two poor rainy seasons, but droughts are not rare in this part of Africa; nor are food shortages. The Horn (which includes Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda) is the poorest region on the continent, with more than 40 per cent of its population of over 160 million living in areas prone to extreme food shortages.

And while the population of the region has doubled since the 1970s, food production has not kept up with that growth, says Abbas Gnamo, an Ethiopian-born academic who teaches African politics and conflict studies at the University of Toronto and Ryerson University and has worked as a consultant in the region.

Although the majority of the region's population depends on agriculture for their livelihood, farmers lack access to machinery and fertilizers, and agricultural productivity remains low. This means that even in the years when farmers get enough rain, the amount of crops they produce is very small, and they don't have any food to put in reserve for the times when there is a drought or other unforeseen shock.

"One of the problems for the Horn of Africa is the food crisis is becoming more or less chronic," Gnamo said.

Although it doesn't address or resolve the underlying causes of this "chronic" crisis in the Horn of Africa, I nevertheless made a donation today toDoctors Without Borders in an effort to help those experiencing the very real consequences of what's happening there. Please consider taking similar action by donating to one of the following relief agencies.

Monday, July 25, 2011

No more semantics. Let's call him what he is: He is a Christian terrorist.

We Christians, to be at all authentic, need to own that sad reality. The views that he espoused can easily be found in the philosophies of nearly every fundamentalist, evangelical Christian group in the United States, as well as in other parts of the world. Dismissing him as "crazy" is too simplistic. It's too easy. It is an attempt to deny the painful reality of what we witnessed: an act of Christian terrorism. In centuries past this would have not been surprising. However, now some Christians see themselves smugly as "above" that sort of thing, denying that it ever happened, and pinning atrocities on Muslims alone.

To speak with integrity, we must roundly condemn not only this depraved act in which nearly 100 people lost their lives, but we must also stay alert and watch for signs that someone else could do precisely the same thing. Acts of Christian terror, even within my lifetime, are not unknown. The Oklahoma City federal building bombing. The bombing at the Olympics in Atlanta. Yes, even the bombing of abortion clinics.

. . . [Anders Behring Breivik] said he staged the bombing and youth camp rampage as "marketing" for his manifesto calling for a revolution that would rid Europe of Muslims.

"The operation was not to kill as many people as possible but to give a strong signal that could not be misunderstood that as long as the Labor Party keeps driving its ideological lie and keeps deconstructing Norwegian culture and mass importing Muslims then they must assume responsibility for this treason," according to the English translation of [Judge Kim] Heger's ruling that was read out after the hearing.

Breivik alluded to two other "cells" of his network — which he imagines as a new Knights Templar, the medieval cabal of crusaders who protected Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land. At one point, his manifesto briefly referred to an intention to contact two other cells, but no details were given.

European security officials said they were aware of increased Internet chatter from individuals claiming they belonged to the Knights Templar group and were investigating claims that Breivik, and other far-right individuals, attended a London meeting of the group in 2002.

. . . In [their book ]Open Embrace, [Sam and Bethany] Torodes endorsed natural family planning — tracking a woman’s ovulation and limiting intercourse to days when she is not fertile — but rejected all forms of artificial contraception, including the pill and condoms. The book sold 7,000 copies after its publication in 2002 and was celebrated in the anti-contraception movement, which remains largely Roman Catholic but has a growing conservative Protestant wing. As young Protestants who conceived their first child on their honeymoon, the Torodes made perfect evangelists.

That was then, this is now.

In 2006, the Torodes wrote on the Web that they no longer believed natural family planning was the best method of birth control. They divorced in 2009.

. . . The book [they] wrote two years into their marriage is quite short and quite sweet, an earnest work whose hopefulness one badly wants to share. Procreation is “the umbrella under which the other aspects of marriage are nurtured,” they wrote. Sex is “a joyous song of praise to the Creator,” and “having children (or adopting them) brings husbands and wives closer together and expands the community of love.”

They concluded succinctly: “When we should be saying ‘I do,’ contraception says, ‘I do not.’ ”

Open Embrace also embraced the view that children stabilize marriage, for “with each child a couple has, their chances of divorce are significantly reduced.” So what went wrong for the Torodes, whose children now range in age from 4 to 9?

Among other challenges, [Bethany], now 30, had unplanned pregnancies. “I got pregnant nursing twice,” she told me. “So my first two kids are 15 months apart, then there is a three-year break, then the younger two are a year and a half apart. That was intense. Beyond hormonally intense, it was relationally intense. It was nothing I would ever want anyone else to have to experience.”

In their 2006 statement on the Web, the couple wrote that natural family planning could harm a marriage, even when it worked.

“Wanting to make love to your spouse often is a good thing, but NFP often lays an unfair burden of guilt on men for feeling this,” the Torodes wrote. And it is “a theological attack on women to always require that abstinence during the time of the wife’s peak sexual desire (ovulation) for the entire duration of her fertile life, except for the handful of times when she conceives.”

. . . This year, [Sam Torode's book]The Dirty Parts of the Bible, which Publishers Weekly called “rich and soulful,” passed Open Embrace in sales. “That was a big deal for me,” Mr. Torode said. Last year, he asked the publisher Eerdmans to stop printing copies of Open Embrace. He promises there will be no Kindle version.

“I am out of the business of trying to tell people what they should do,” Mr. Torode said. “I am out of that business for good.”

One of the earliest works from the literature ofMedieval Rus'is The Legend ofBoris and Gleb, which forms a portion ofThe Primacy Chronicle, a document compiled by various writers from about 1040 to 1118. The legend concerns a tragedy, occurring in 1015, of which the death of St. Olga's grandson,St. Vladimir, was a catalyst. This extraordinary prince had founded the state of Rus' and compelled his people into mass conversions to Christianity. Shortly after his death, two of his sons, the Kievan princes Boris and Gleb were assassinated for dynastic purposes by minions of their half-brother Sviatopolk, called "the Accursed" because of the deed.

The older brother, Boris, had a servant named George the Hungarian, whom Boris had given a magnificent gold necklace, "for he was loved by Boris, declaring 'I will not be left behind, my precious lord! Before the beauty of your body begins to wilt, let it be granted that my life may end." The assassins tore Boris out of George's embrace, stabbed George, and flung him out of the tent, bleeding and dying. Then they murdered Boris, who died forgiving them for their crime. Unable to undo the clasp of George's necklace, they cut off his head, flinging it so far away that, the narrator adds indignantly, his head and body could not later be reunited for decent Christian burial. Shortly afterwards, another group of assassins tracked down Gleb, the younger brother of Boris, who had been warned of his brother's death and was about to flee half-heartedly. He had been so attached to Boris that he yearned to join him in death. when ordered to murder Gleb, they balked at killing a son of Vladimir, so terrified his cook into doing it.

Since Boris and Gleb [pictured at left] both were said to have died accepting their fate and forgiving their murderers, they became the first saints canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church and were given a title especially coined to explain the saintliness of two men who, up to the time of their death, had not demonstrated any notably holy characteristics at all. They were called "Passion Bearers." The Roman Church acknowledged their cult in 1724 and assigned them a feast day of July 24th, the date on which Boris and George died.

A boy, whose cure was recorded as part of the brothers' canonization process claimed that, at the time of his cure, he had experienced a vision in which George appeared in their company. Nevertheless, even though his death was a perfect icon of Jesus' observance that "A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13), George was never canonized. Probably because of a subsequent embarrassment over his intimate relationship with Boris, the most Medieval iconographers would do for George was to include him among the characters depicted in miniature scenes which framed some icons of Boris and Gleb and showed details from the account of their deaths.

It feels great to have achieved this in my lifetime and see so many couples who have been loved and living together, to see them finally become part of a greater community of loving couples is phenomenal.

Above:From left, couples Nevin Cohen and Daniel Hernandez, Carol Anastasio and Miriam Brown, all of New York, and Marcos Chaljub and Freddy Zambrano, of Astoria, in the Queens borough of New York, celebrate after getting married at the Manhattan City Clerk's office, Sunday, July 24, 2011 in New York. (Photo: Jason DeCrow)

Above:Phyllis Siegel, 76, left, and Connie Kopelov, 84, both of New York, embrace after becoming the first same-sex couple to get married at the Manhattan City Clerk's office, Sunday, July 24, 2011, in New York. (Photo: Jason DeCrow)

Opening Image: Same-sex couple Daniel Hernandez, 53, right, and Nevin Cohen, 48, kiss after being married at the City Clerk's Office in New York, Sunday, July 24, 2011. A state law signed June 24 by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo went into effect at 12:01 on Sunday, allowing hundreds of couples statewide to tie the knot, including 823 in New York City alone. (Photo: Associated Press)

. . .[I]f a person who is unhappy with his sexual orientation desires assistance or support in his conflict – there is absolutely nothing wrong if he or she seeks counseling – just make sure the therapists are licensed and have decent credentials. Transgender people do it all the time, claiming to be unhappy with the gender they were born with, they spend thousands on therapy, hormone treatments, anti-depressants, and surgeries. If people of faith seek Christian psychological therapy – why are they condemned? The double standard is hugely obvious when the gay Brown Shirts set about limiting individual freedoms in such cases.

Later, in his response to "Simon" in the comments section for this particular post, Terry writes:

Likewise, one hears stories of heterosexual men and women leaving their spouses and children for a same-sex lover all of the time. If they can change, why can't a highly motivated man or woman leave homosexuality?

Following (with some added afterthoughts) is the response I left at Abbey Roads. I welcome any additional thoughts my readers may have on the comparisons Terry raises.

Terry, you're comparisons between the homosexual orientation, trangenderism, and a straight person leaving his/her spouse for a homosexual relationship are misguided. [I think I'm being too gentle here! They're not only "misguided" but misleading and false.]

A transgender person feels inside him/herself a gender that doesn't correspond with their outward appearance. They want to be true to their deeper, inner reality of gender identity. A gay person who seeks "reparative therapy" feels inside him/herself a sexual orientation that they do not want to accept – often because of the negative indoctrination they've received from outside entities, e.g., family members, society, teachings of their church, etc. In both cases, what we should be trying to do is encourage the acceptance of these people's inner realities – be it their gender identity or sexual orientation. [Somehow I don't think this is the type of "counseling" that Terry is encouraging unhappy homosexual to seek.] It's through such acceptance and integration that people live that "life to the full" that Jesus calls us to.

In the case of a "straight" person leaving their spouse for a gay person, I think that if you talked to such an individual they would tell you that, in retrospect, they had always been gay but just didn't want to admit it or deal with it. That kind of avoidance, however, can only last so long. [In other words, they haven't changed their orientation; they're simply being true to it. This, of course, means a change in how they express themselves sexually, but their actual orientation remains the same.]Interestingly, it you also talk to the former spouses of such people, they too will often admit that they sensed "something" different about their partner but just didn't want to admit/deal with it. Let's face it, we still live in a society that often conveys negative ideas about homosexuality. This can complicate and slow a person's journey of self-awareness and "coming out."

Having said all that, I do believe that because sexuality is a continuum, there can be and are some individuals who are capable of moving along this continuum [and they generally do so without need of "counseling"]. I certainly think it's possible . . . but rare. [And in most such cases, it could be that they are actuallybisexual, a sexual reality that Terry consistently ignores.]Most of us are firmly placed somewhere on the sexual orientation continuum [and are quite happy to stay there! Bisexuals, it should be noted, are located at the center of this continuum]. The problem with the "therapy" offered by people like Marcus Bachmann and organizations like NARTH, is that they accept and encourage "movement" [or "change"] only if the person is moving from gay to straight. [Unhappy straight people, for instance, (and, yes, there are lots of them around!) are never encouraged to explore the possibility that they may actually be gay.] If [people like Bachmann] were truly open to what science says about [the complex reality of] sexual orientation, and to actually helping people, then they would not display this double standard.

Tell them, Mary, Jesus said,that fear will flee my lightthat though the ground will trembleand despair will stalk the earthI hold them firmly by the handthrough terror to new birth.

Tell them, Mary, Jesus said,the globe and all that's madeis clasped to God's great bosomthey must not be afraidfor though they fall and die, he said,and the black earth wrap them tightthey will know the warmthof God's healing handsin the early morning light.

Born in Australia in 1982, Sparro moved to Los Angeles at 10 years of age, when his gospel musician father found work in the California music industry. While singing with his father’s gospel groups, he was discovered and championed byChaka Kahn. He later moved to London to pursue a career in music, but returned to LA, finding work in a coffee shop. It was during this rather difficult time that he wrote his hit single "Black and Gold" (2008), which went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. The song has subsequently beencoveredbyKaty Perry.

Of "Black and Gold" blogger Sharon van Ettenwrites: "[The song] sees Sam pondering the existence of God as he stares at the sky. It’s perhaps the closest you’d get to personal reflection on an electro track, but the glam and glitter of the dance floor seems to create the space and place for stargazing. A symphony to God this is not, but it sure remains an earnest plea for a revelation of sorts."

Sparro writes, performs, produces and arranges all his own material. He lives in LA with his partner Adrian.

Following is one of two music videos for "Black and Gold." For the other one, clickhere. For a live version of "Black and Gold," clickhere.

Australian-born soul starlet Sam Sparro has been making ears prick up of late. His savvy blend of soul, funk and modern electronica nods to '70s and '80s legends likeStevie WonderandHall and Oates, but Sparro brings a sassy style and modern production ethic that renders his music 21st Century fresh. Armed with a smooth, mercurial voice, Sparro sashays slickly through disco, funk and soul, moving waists with the punchy electro-funk of "Too Many Questions", "Black and Gold" and "Cut Me Loose", soaring soul like "Hot Mess" and darker material like "Pocket" and the synth-laden "Sick" (which comes over allCalvin Harris, admittedly minus the kitsch, ironic appeal). "Clingwrap" is pop-litePrince, and there’s the occasional slower track like "Waiting For Time" and "Cottonmouth", but mostly this is an upbeat collection for good time people. HisDaft Punk-meets-Jamiroquaisingle "Black and Gold" has already earned him deserved comparisons to contemporary blue-eyed soul boys like Jamie Lidell; Sam Sparro is assured enough to make him a star.

A friend of mine donned (faux) fur and was part of the recent non-violent direct action at the Minnesota "counseling" center of presidential candidate Michele Bachmann’s husband Marcus. And, yes, glitter was involved!

The action has received national attention. Following is The Washington Post's coverage.

The latest victim? The counseling center of presidential candidate Michele Bachmann’s husband Marcus. The clinic, which receives federal and state funding, has come under fire for reportedly using “pray-away-the-gay” techniques.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Once when I was in Catholic primary (or elementary) school in Australia, a troupe of Polynesian dancers came and entertained the school community. I remember being quite enthralled by their colorful costumes of leaves and grass, shells and flowers; and by their fluid movements and (half-naked) physical beauty. I especially remember being drawn to one particular male dancer, and how strangely elated I felt when he looked me in the eyes and smiled a truly brilliant smile. For the briefest of moments the crowded, noisy school hall dissolved, and it was just he and I. True, my response of elation and connection was somewhat disconcerting – heralding, as it was, an awakening of my little gay boy self. Yet as a wise woman would later remind me: the truth indeed sets us free, but first it often makes us uncomfortable!

I was reminded of all of this when reading about thearioidancers of Tahiti in Gerald Jonas’ informative and entertaining book, Dancing: The Pleasure, Power, and Art of Movement. I share today an excerpt from this book as part of The Wild Reed’s ongoing series, “The Dancer and the Dance.” Enjoy!

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Again and again during [their] “discovery” of the South Pacific . . . Europeans were struck by the initial friendliness of the natives, by their uninhibited (to European eyes) sexuality, and by their propensity to express themselves through dance. Speaking of the Tahitians, a French sailor reported that “their existence was in never-ending merrymaking.”

. . . The European missionaries who followed the first explorers to Polynesia learned more, and liked less, about the native dances. On Tahiti and its neighboring islands, where food was usually plentiful, men and women seemed to dance at every opportunity, day or night – to please their gods, to celebrate the completion of communal work projects, to praise their chiefs, and, apparently, for the sheer fun of it. They also had an elaborate dance theater. A fleet of up to seventy canoes made a circuit from island to island carrying a troupe of actor-dancers called arioi, who had renounced ordinary life to devote themselves to the cult of Oro, god of rain and fertility. Some of their canoes were rigged with platforms for performances, so that the singing and dancing could begin even before the fleet reached land. Once on shore the performances continued through the night in houses specially built for this purpose.

Among the high points of the performances were mime shows featuring men with mock phalluses fashioned from distended animal bladders; their grossly exaggerated portrayals of sexual intercourse provoked the audience to waves of laughter, as did their satirical skits about the shortcomings (sexual and otherwise) of the most powerful chiefs. Under the rigidly hierarchical system that dominated life on these Polynesian islands, only the arioi were permitted to make fun of the ruling class in public – not unlike the court jesters of medieval Europe.

The first representatives of the newly formed Londan Missionary Society arrived in Tahiti in 1797 and began converting the principal chiefs and local priests. The arioi, who offended the new order both by their devotion to the old gods and by their open sexuality, were suppressed. Within a few years, no trace of their society could be found. By the 1820s dancing of the traditional kind was prohibited as immoral, and the prohibition was extended to all activities associated with dancing – even the making of bark cloth. But the islanders, despite their mass conversion to Christianity, continued to dance in private, away from the prying eyes of missionaries. When the somewhat more tolerant French ousted the English from control of Tahiti in 1842, the traditional dances began a slow comeback, although it was not until the end of the nineteenth century that dancing in public received official sanction.

Today, dance is again a significant part of Tahitian social life. Much of the music now uses Western scales and harmonies, the words of many traditional chants have been lost or are no longer understood, and few if any dances have been preserved intact from the pre-Christian era.

How ironic it is that it was a form of Christianity that drove the art of the Arioi to extinction and yet it was at a Catholic school that I had a deep and sacred part of me awakened and affirmed by the "pleasure, power and art" of Tahitian dance – and thus, I'm sure, something of the Arioi!

I established The Wild Reed in 2006 as a sign of solidarity with all who are dedicated to living lives of integrity – though, in particular, with gay people seeking to be true to both the gift of their sexuality and their Catholic faith. The Wild Reed's original by-line read, "Thoughts and reflections from a progressive, gay, Catholic perspective." As you can see, it reads differently now. This is because my journey has, in many ways, taken me beyond, or perhaps better still, deeper into the realities that the words "progressive," "gay," and "Catholic" seek to describe.

Even though reeds can symbolize frailty, they may also represent the strength found in flexibility. Popular wisdom says that the green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm. Tall green reeds are associated with water, fertility, abundance, wealth, and rebirth. The sound of a reed pipe is often considered the voice of a soul pining for God or a lost love.

On September 24, 2012,Michael BaylyofCatholics for Marriage Equality MNwas interviewed by Suzanne Linton of Our World Today about same-sex relationships and why Catholics can vote 'no' on the proposed Minnesota anti-marriage equality amendment.

Readers write . . .

"I believe your blog to be of utmost importance for all people regardless of their orientation. . . . Thank you for your blog and the care and dedication that you give in bringing the TRUTH to everyone."– William

"Michael, if there is ever a moment in your day or in your life when you feel low and despondent and wonder whether what you are doing is anything worthwhile, think of this: thanks to your writing on the internet, a young man miles away is now willing to embrace life completely and use his talents and passions unashamedly to celebrate God and his creation. Any success I face in the future and any lives I touch would have been made possible thanks to you and your honesty and wisdom."– AB

"Since I discovered your blog I have felt so much more encouraged and inspired knowing that I'm not the only gay guy in the Catholic Church trying to balance my Faith and my sexuality. Continue being a beacon of hope and a guide to the future within our Church!"– Phillip

"Your posts about Catholic issues are always informative and well researched, and I especially appreciate your photography and the personal posts about your own experience. I'm very glad I found your blog and that I've had the chance to get to know you."– Crystal

"Thank you for taking the time to create this fantastic blog. It is so inspiring!"– George

"I cannot claim to be an expert on Catholic blogs, but from what I've seen, The Wild Reed ranks among the very best."– Kevin

"Reading your blog leaves me with the consolation of knowing that the words Catholic, gay and progressive are not mutually exclusive.."– Patrick

"I grieve for the Roman institution’s betrayal of God’s invitation to change. I fear that somewhere in the midst of this denial is a great sin that rests on the shoulders of those who lead and those who passively follow. But knowing that there are voices, voices of the prophets out there gives me hope. Please keep up the good work."– Peter

"I ran across your blog the other day looking for something else. I stopped to look at it and then bookmarked it because you have written some excellent articles that I want to read. I find your writing to be insightful and interesting and I'm looking forward to reading more of it. Keep up the good work. We really, really need sane people with a voice these days."– Jane Gael